Ankle brace walker

Abstract

Load forces are distributed and reacted along lateral and medial side plates, thereby avoiding the concentration of stresses which could cause cracking, buckling, crippling and the like. This is provided by an intermediate plate portion which has an external edge in the form of an elliptical segment. Because of the elliptical profile of the intermediate side plate portion, shear forces imposed by an applied toe load will be distributed through the intermediate side plate portion, thereby reducing the maximum level of forces imposed at the union of lateral and medial brace members with lateral and medial side plates. The gait pattern of the patient is accommodated by a composite outsole which permits yieldable, bending contact rather than rigid, rolling contact with the ground surface. The composite outsole includes an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, with the flexible heel core and foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other. A fulcrum line is established at the interface of the heel core and foot core. The composite, flexible outsole is bendable laterally and medially with respect to the longitudinal centerline, thereby accommodating lateral or medial toe walk gait aspects.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination: a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient's foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;   lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members protecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and the flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other; and   wherein said flexible shell has a heel sidewall portion, a toe sidewall portion, a first bottom panel portion attached to said heel sidewall portion and a second bottom panel portion attached to said toe sidewall portion, said first bottom panel portion being substantially planar, and said second bottom panel portion having a convex curvature, the planar bottom panel portion being joined to said convex bottom panel portion along a fulcrum line at a location intermediate the toe sidewall portion and the tandem interface of the heel core and foot core.   
     
     
       2. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination: a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient's foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;   lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and the flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other; and   wherein said flexible shell has a heel sidewall portion, a toe sidewall portion, a first bottom panel portion attached to said heel sidewall portion and a second bottom panel portion attached to said toe sidewall portion, said first bottom panel portion being substantially planar, and said second bottom panel portion having a convex curvature, the planar bottom panel portion being joined to said convex bottom panel portion along a fulcrum line intermediate the heel sidewall portion and the toe sidewall portion.   
     
     
       3. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination: a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient's foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;   lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and the flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other; and   wherein said flexible shell has a heel sidewall portion, a toe sidewall portion, a first bottom panel portion attached to said heel sidewall portion and a second bottom panel portion attached to said toe sidewall portion, said first bottom panel portion being substantially planar, and said second bottom panel portion having a convex curvature, wherein the planar bottom panel portion slopes inwardly toward said toe sidewall portion by an acute angle with respect to the second planar surface of said foot plate, and the curved bottom panel portion transitions smoothly from the planar bottom panel portion to said toe sidewall portion.   
     
     
       4. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein the angle of inclination is about 2 degrees. 
     
     
       5. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination: a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient's foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;   lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and the flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other; and   wherein said flexible shell has a heel sidewall portion, a toe sidewall portion, a first bottom panel portion attached to said heel sidewall portion and a second bottom panel portion attached to said toe sidewall portion, said first bottom panel portion being substantially planar, and said second bottom panel portion having a convex curvature, wherein the planar bottom panel portion underlaps said heel core and a portion of said foot core, the planar bottom panel portion being joined to said convex bottom panel portion along a fulcrum line at a location intermediate the toe sidewall portion and the tandem interface of the heel core and foot core.   
     
     
       6. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination: a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient's foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;   lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;   lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate; and,   a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell and a flexible core enclosed within the flexible shell, said flexible shell having a heel sidewall portion, a toe sidewall portion, a first bottom panel portion attached to said heel sidewall portion and a second bottom panel portion attached to said toe sidewall portion, said first bottom panel portion being substantially planar, and said second bottom panel portion having a convex curvature, the planar bottom panel portion being joined to said convex bottom panel portion along a fulcrum line at a location intermediate the toe sidewall portion and the heel sidewall portion.   
     
     
       7. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein the planar bottom panel portion slopes inwardly toward said toe sidewall portion by an acute angle with respect to the second planar surface of said foot plate, and wherein the curved bottom panel portion transitions smoothly from the planar bottom panel portion to said toe sidewall portion.